1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to harvesting machines, and more particularly to a fruit harvesting machine of the type providing intermittent air blasts against fruit trees to cause vibration or oscillation of the trees and thereby shake fruit loose therefrom.
2. The Prior Art
In modern citrus fruit plantations the trees are relatively close together and are arranged in rows. To harvest fruit from the trees, the most efficient procedure is to employ a machine which can move past the trees and cause them to shake or oscillate with proper amplitude and periodicity to cause the fruit thereon to become detached from the tree limbs and fall to the ground. Various machines for this purpose have been proposed, for example, machines providing traveling air blasts or air blasts which change in direction. In many cases, these have been found to be unsatisfactory, either because they damage the trees or do not provide the proper type of shaking action.